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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Our Torah is tradition's well it has a story great to tell
About a time when we went free no longer slaves, now family
And so each year we gather 'round to eat the foods and hear the sound of a wondrous time,
its lesson true as much for our ancestors, as it is for you!
On Pesach it is good and right we join together, our hearts delight
We begin with joy and song a message clear and loud and strong
How good it is and pleasant too for me to sit with you and you…
Sing: Hee-nei mah tov u-mah-na-yeem, She-vet a cheem gam ya-chad!
How good it is and how pleasant When we can be together!
Our seder now is set to start
sweet juice from grapes to warm the heart
Four cups in all, we will soon drink
each time be sure, our minds should think...
Of that great and awesome time...
when God who's strong and wise and kind
gave us freedom and good laws to bind...
Each of us to one another...
parent, spouse, sister, brother.
The Torah tells us loud and clear
just listen now, you're sure to hear
Hey...Chaya, Eli, you there Chayim
Ho-tzei-tee et-chem mee ta-chat seev-lot meetz-ra-yeem.
(Shemot 6:6)
Our Torah teaches that God said: "I am the Lord. I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians." (Exodus 6:6)
Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam, Bo-rei, pe-ree ha-ga-fen
O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation, we praise You for creating the fruit of the vine.
Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,
She-he-che-ya-nu, v'kee-ya-ma-nu, v'hee-gee-ya-nu, laz-man Ha-zeh
O Holy One of the Blessing, Your Presence fills creation thank You, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for bringing us to this happy time!
Our tale to tell, both happy and sad,
like all great lore, some good, some bad
On our table the symbols abound
you needn't look far, they're all around
Look on your plate, for parsley green
a sign of Spring when it is seen.
And somewhere near there is salt water,
tears of slavery, hard work with mortar
And so together, we now recall
the green around, the tears that fall.
Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,
Bo-rei pe-ree ha-a-da-mah.
Oh Holy One of Blessing, Your presence fills creation,
We praise You for creating the fruit of the ground!
Hey, look here, a plate with Matzah ...
let's see ... one, two, three
there sure is "lotsa"
Three matzot, all set to ear
I'll break the middle,
...an afikomen treat
A wise Rabbi Gamliel, long ago taught
These symbols each Seder must have a clear thought
First Pesach reminds us that on the night we went free
God "passed over" our houses,
no death did we see
While all Egypt suffered,
while each home saw great strife
in the homes of our ancestors,
there were new signs of life
And the Matzah we eat to remember through taste
that from Egypt our ancestors departed in haste
they didn't have time to pause and surmise
they hadn't a moment to let their bread rise
And then there's the maror, the meal's bitter herb
a reminder of slavery, our senses disturb
The maror's a symbol intended to teach
that enslavement is evil wherever its reach
In each generation we are called and commanded
to do more than just read and then eat
our Seder is special, our gathering quite sacred
for our tradition we actually meet
At a time such as this, we really should feel
that it was we who went free on that night
For with that sensation
we are one, we're a nation
we're together for all that is right
Now let's take a deep breath
let's pause and let's think
and from the sweet cup of freedom
we'll then take a drink
We're thankful and lucky to be in this place
where the blessing of freedom
brings joy to the face
A free people are we
we're both happy and proud
we thank God for the goodness
with our prayer, clear and loud
For our Torah, it tells us
that our God strong and calm
heetz-chal-tee et-chem me-a-vo-da-tam
(Our Torah teaches that God promised our enslaved ancestors that: “ I will
deliver you from the Egyptian bondage.” Exodus 6:6)
Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu, Me-lech Ha-o-lam
Bo-rei, pe-ree ha-ga-fen.
O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation,
We praise you for creating the fruit of the vine.
The moment's near when we shall eat
a snack, a meal, a Seder treat
Our customs held in high esteem
that when we eat our hands be clean
For all that we can do or say
a blessing must precede the way
(Participants should wash their hands and recite the following blessing:)
Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,
a-sheer keed-sha-nu be-meetz-vo-tav, vee-tzee-va-nu
al n'tee-lat ya-da-yeem.
O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation;
You made us special with your mitzvot, and You have
instructed us to wash our hands.
Two times so far we've talked about
this matzah here to figure out
And now's our chance to take a bite
to remind us of the slaves rushed flight
But first some blessings say we should
Thank God for our gifts so good
Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,
Ha-mo-tzee le-chem meen ha-a-retz.
O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation;
Thank you for the nourishing goodness of bread.
Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,
a-sher keed-sha-nu be-meetz-vo-tav, vee-tzee-va-nu
al a-chee-lat ma-tzah.
O Holy One of Blessing, your Presence fills creation;
You have made us special with your Mitzvot, and You have
Instructed us to eat Matzah during Pesach
And now to think, we taste some Maror
to remind us all of slavery's horror
Maror, a herb with bitter taste
should teach us all enslavement's waste
Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,
a-sheer keed-sha-nu be-meetz-vo-tav,
vee-tzee-va-nu al a -chee-lat ma-ror.
O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation;
You have made us special with Your Mitzvot, and You have
instructed us to eat Maror during Pesach.
Hillel, a rabbi of old
had a custom of which we are told
a sandwich he said
made from matzah, not bread
filled with marror and charosets -- served cold
Some time ago, as we spoke
this matzah here we held and broke
It's called afikomen -- desert by and by
a fun tradition now to try
Well that matzah has now been hidden
for the moment at least, it's been lost
but I'll make you a deal, I'll give you my word
if you can find it, we'll pay the cost
(Young participants search for Afikomen.)
At times such as this, we pause and reflect
we thank God for the good that surrounds
our families, our friends,
the great blessings of freedom
and of course all the food that abounds
We make sacred the moment
with a prayer truly said
as we celebrate the blessings
of our feast of unleavened bread
Baruch Atah Adonai, ha-zan eit ha -kol.
O Holy One of blessing, we thank you for the blessings of food.
A third cup of wine we now shall drink
as we recall again to think
God's great promise of redemption
our ancestor's saw
V'ga-alti et-chem beetz-roah n'too-yah.
(Our Torah teaches that God said:
"I will redeem you with an outstretched arm." Shemot 6:6)
Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam
Bo-rei, pe-ree ha-ga-fen.
O Holy One of Blessing, our Presence fills creation,
we praise you for creating the fruit of the vine.
A special guest we welcome now
the prophet Elijah to take his bow
Our custom at each Seder meal
to invite our friends, our joy to feel
One day quite soon, we all pray
Elijah will really come our way
And peaceful times he'll bring about
with joy and gladness all will shout
And so this cup for him we leave
our warm hospitality he might receive
Our Seder's joyous interlude
our celebration soon conclude
we hope the day so soon to come
when songs of freedom all will hum
When God, the Brit did reaffirm
a promise made, in time's good turn
one day in freedom, peace and calm
"La-kach-ti et-chem lee l'am"
(Our Torah teaches that God said: "I will take you to be my people." Exodus 6:7)
Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam
Bo-rei, pe-ree ha-ga-fen.
O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation,
We praise you for creating the fruit of the vine.
Now's the time to say good bye
we soon depart, our head held high
We pray a day when we shall see
that all God's children will be free
Perhaps next year we'll celebrate
an end to war and fear and hate
We pray as well, dear Chaya and Chaim
L'shana ha-ba-ah b'Ye-ru-sha-la-yeem
Next year in Jerusalem!!!